Sebastián Lelio, best known for directing the 2017 Chilean drama “A Fantastic Woman” — which won an Oscar — has died. He was 52.
The filmmaker was found dead at his house in the Las Condes district of Santiago, Chile, around noon on Friday by his partner, actress Amalia Kassai, according to Chilean news platform Emol.
Kassai announced the news “with great sadness” in a statement shared on her Instagram account on Friday, noting that he had died “following health complications.”
“We are going through a time of profound grief, and his memory will remain with us forever. He was a wonderful person who made significant contributions to Chilean culture at important moments in its history,” the statement continued.
“As a family, we ask for privacy and consideration during these difficult times,” the statement concluded, signed by the Lelio-Kassai family and the Campos-Watt family.
The exact cause of Lelio’s death was not immediately known.
Kassai later penned a heartbreaking tribute to her late partner on Instagram, sharing several photos and videos of the pair together throughout the years.
“I love you in this life and in all the lives to come,” she wrote, adding that Lelio was “for many, an important person.”
“He illuminated everything and everything around him … Only love remains,” she concluded.
At the time of his death, Lelio was filming an adaptation of Alejandro Zambra’s novel “Chilean Poet” and was also in pre-production on “Voyagers,” starring Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones.
He was also known for his work on “The Year of the Tiger,” “Gloria,” “Disobedience,” “The Wonder” and “The Wave.” Throughout his career, Lelio worked alongside several acclaimed actresses, including Julianne Moore, Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams and Florence Pugh.
Notably, Lelio won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film in 2018 for “A Fantastic Woman,” marking the second of only two Academy Awards won by Chile, following the country’s 2016 win for Best Animated Short Film with “Bear Story.”
The post Oscar-winning director found dead at 52, actress partner writes heartbreaking tribute appeared first on Page Six.
